The gym and golf...

[slugger]

It's been a few years since i was member of a gym. All the other sports i have done through the years have kept me fit and strong enough without needing to go.

Now that i've suffered a slight relapse with my back injury, it's time to face facts and accept that my core muscles have lost strength and need work on again.

So, is it worth me joining a gym, or should exercises at home and running a couple of times a week be more than enough? Does anyone here mix gym work with golf work and do you train specifically for golf, or just for overall fitness?

If this is what it's going to take for me to get back playing to the standard i know i can play to, then i'm going to do it!

 

[Aztecs27]

I'm (supposed to) train at least 3 times a week, heavy lifting for strength for American Football. Recently I've got lazy, but I'm still stronger than I was two years ago and this has helped my golf game no end as I can now hit the ball alot further (around 50 yards further with my driver) to leave me shorter irons into the green. It also helps with my flexibility when I'm training properly.

Obviously, I have no knowledge of your back injury, but if it's strong enough that you can play golf, doing some core exercises can only help.

If you're looking to bulk up to impress the laydeez but at th same time improve your fitness, strength and core, then joining a gym might be advisable.

If you're looking to help strengthen your core, lose a bit of unwanted weight and improve overall fitness, running and home exercise will be totally fine.

I can help with either suggestion on what exercises you should be doing if you want?

 

[Aztecs27]

Also, to answer your question a bit better, *any* exercise will help benefit your game, but in very different ways.

 

[User 105]

I've been a regular gym goer for probably the last 8 years.

I don't specifically train for golf but have had to adapt my training to 'not impact' my golf.

I train between 3-5 times per week. Mixture of Cardio (usually interval training) and heavy weight sessions. I don't specifically do any core work. I find if you use good form when lifting works my abs enough and also most cardo work will improve you're core as well.

I used to do weights Monday and Friday and Cardio Tue and Thu and sometimes a run at the weekend.

What I found was that if I lifted on Friday my muscles would still be tight on Saturday when I played, so restricted my swing.

I've switched to weight circuits on Mondays now and an extra Cardo session on Friday. So lower weight but more reps. That way it gives my body a chance to loosen off before the weekend and I don't feel as restricted in my swing. It really has helped.

If you are relatively new to exercise, or haven't trained in a while, I'd say go the gym route. Most good gyms will do some intro sessions with a trainer to make sure you are using good form and are not going to injure yourself. Especially if you want to do any weights. And find a gym that does month by month membership and not insist you sign up for a full year.

I see so many new people in the weights area struggling to lift as much as they can with bad form. It's an accident waiting to happen.

Last thing you want is to pick up an injury and stop the golf for a few months.

Start slow and build up. You more likely to stick at it.

 

[bobmac]

I'm just behind Smiffy in the queue for a gym membership

 

[Aztecs27]

I've been a regular gym goer for probably the last 8 years.

I don't specifically train for golf but have had to adapt my training to 'not impact' my golf.

I train between 3-5 times per week. Mixture of Cardio (usually interval training) and heavy weight sessions. I don't specifically do any core work. I find if you use good form when lifting works my abs enough and also most cardo work will improve you're core as well.

I used to do weights Monday and Friday and Cardio Tue and Thu and sometimes a run at the weekend.

What I found was that if I lifted on Friday my muscles would still be tight on Saturday when I played, so restricted my swing.

I've switched to weight circuits on Mondays now and an extra Cardo session on Friday. So lower weight but more reps. That way it gives my body a chance to loosen off before the weekend and I don't feel as restricted in my swing. It really has helped.

If you are relatively new to exercise, or haven't trained in a while, I'd say go the gym route. Most good gyms will do some intro sessions with a trainer to make sure you are using good form and are not going to injure yourself. Especially if you want to do any weights. And find a gym that does month by month membership and not insist you sign up for a full year.

I see so many new people in the weights area struggling to lift as much as they can with bad form. It's an accident waiting to happen.

Last thing you want is to pick up an injury and stop the golf for a few months.

Start slow and build up. You more likely to stick at it.

+1 to all of the above. Explained it much better than I did!

 

[slugger]

I'm not new to training at all... used to have to do a fair bit when i was kayaking for scotland. most of it was in the boat work though and a fair bit of running and cycling, so the only thing that i'm really alien to is the gym.

i'm also alien to the concept of doing set excercise to strengthen a specific muscle group like the core. I can do stuff in the house, but i'm not sure i'd be doing it right.

The local gym is attached to a pool as well, so i would get unlimited swimming for myself and the wee one included in membership.

 

[MarkE]

I don't know what you're all talking about. What's this gym thing then?

 

[Chrimbo]

Check out Golf Fitness.

 

[medwayjon]

I think going to the gym is important.

Yes I am a fat git but I always have, and always will, train quite a bit.

Obviously CV work isnt my strong-point generally but I do the full range of free and machine weights, the bikes, and then sparring with a couple of fighters I know.

Nothing too excessive but enough to keep the muscles strong.

In relation to golf, I think that working on certain muscle groups is important as in essence, a textbook golf swing is infact an unnatural thing for the body and makes muscles work in non-standard ways to an extent.

I would say the gym is preferable to home exercise, basically because there are professionals on hand who can tailor your training to specific requirements and monitor progress carefully.

Of course with muscle building/strenghtening the key is to feed the muscles and enable them to recover. I drink a protein shake before training and also use creatine.

 

[Aztecs27]

Of course with muscle building/strenghtening the key is to feed the muscles and enable them to recover. I drink a protein shake before training and also use creatine.

You are very right, but you drink one *before* training? Have you tried drinking one after training and having something carb-y before? You'll notice the benefits almost immediately. Also, how the hell do you drink one before training without throwing it up in the middle of your workout?!

 

[User 105]

I'm not new to training at all... used to have to do a fair bit when i was kayaking for scotland. most of it was in the boat work though and a fair bit of running and cycling, so the only thing that i'm really alien to is the gym.

i'm also alien to the concept of doing set exercise to strengthen a specific muscle group like the core. I can do stuff in the house, but I'm not sure I'd be doing it right.

The local gym is attached to a pool as well, so i would get unlimited swimming for myself and the wee one included in membership.

Slugger, I'd say give the gym a go. They should do an intro session with you where you can explain what you want to achieve and they will outline a training programme for you to follow then take you through each exercise. Be sure to mention golf and say you want to build strength but maintain flexibility.

You really need a professional to outline a programme for you to get a good balance of exercises so you don't over-train a specific part.

Lots of guys in our gym over-train either their chest or their biceps, you need to equally train the opposite muscle groups otherwise you get an imbalance which will lead to injuries. So if you train you're chest, train you back as well. If you train you're biceps train you're triceps etc.

 

[medwayjon]

Of course with muscle building/strenghtening the key is to feed the muscles and enable them to recover. I drink a protein shake before training and also use creatine.

You are very right, but you drink one *before* training? Have you tried drinking one after training and having something carb-y before? You'll notice the benefits almost immediately. Also, how the hell do you drink one before training without throwing it up in the middle of your workout?!

I dont mean literally as I lace my trainers up!

During/After training its always blue powerade for me.

Never considered having a shake after training, may be worth looking at in that case.

 

[Aztecs27]

Of course with muscle building/strenghtening the key is to feed the muscles and enable them to recover. I drink a protein shake before training and also use creatine.

You are very right, but you drink one *before* training? Have you tried drinking one after training and having something carb-y before? You'll notice the benefits almost immediately. Also, how the hell do you drink one before training without throwing it up in the middle of your workout?!

I dont mean literally as I lace my trainers up!

During/After training its always blue powerade for me.

Never considered having a shake after training, may be worth looking at in that case.

Haha!

Definitely switch to having it after training and having something like an apple before (for the spiking sugar boost). Because the protein shakes are used to repair the muscles, they don't need repairing until after you've "torn" them when you workout. Necking a shake post-workout (within 20 minutes of finishing is usually good), will give you MUCH better results.

That's not to say you can't drink them at any other time, but everyone on my team that I know that does that does so for bulking up and piling on the lbs.

 

[Aztecs27]

...you need to equally train the opposite muscle groups otherwise you get an imbalance which will lead to injuries.

As well as looking completely ridiculous! Nearly EVERYONE in the gym I attend does the same thing.

 

[Leftie]

Check out Golf Fitness.

Had a quick look and broke into a sweat just reading it

Might have another look tomorrow and see if i can make it to the second exercise

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I'm a lost cause. Slightly better shape that Simffy and Bob but I'm giving them 20 years so expect to be. I could go to a gym (we have one at the hospital) but to be honest I'd rather be out playing in the summer (or practicing if I must but I've cut that right down this year) and even in the winter would prefer a few range sessions to keep the swing ticking over. I guess I don't have the right mentality but I find most gym programmes a chore after a week or so

 

[pablo123]

If you want to put on muscle mass or get strong you're diet is 70% of the battle. If you are not eating the right things you will struggle to achieve any goals. If you want an idea of what golf muscles are the most important go on mytpi.com. That website gives you loads of info on the best way to work out. I do 3 fullbodys a week which are made up of big compound moves( work more than one muscle at a time) I mix my
training up so that I get strength hyperteophy and endurance.

 

[TWM]

You can start your gym work at home as I did. At age 76 I felt my golfing days were numbered as I had no energy and my my scores reflected this.
I January I discovered FitnessTV on Sky 282. They had just started The Big Workout intended to get the nation more fit.
I have been following this ever since and began to feel the benefit quite quickly.
I you look on the fitness.tv web site you can also find a number of DVDs to buy. I use a couple of these when I don't have time for the programme.
Anyway the fitness regime paid of big time a couple of weeks ago when I had my best result since restarting golf.

 

[Smiffy]

I'm a lost cause. Slightly better shape that Smiffy

Yeah right